Birmingham City’s manager Pep Clotet (right) applauds the fans after their game against Nottingham Forest

@JamesJV97: I know it wasn’t the performance everyone wanted but can look to Tuesday now, it’s gonna take time let’s be patient!

@Bluenose921: To play both Villalba and Crowley in the same team you cannot play 442, it’s either 3521 or 4231. Right now I don’t see this working if Juke is up top

@MickBcfc1975: That’s worst I’ve seen us play in a while I must admit ? Awful at the back, haven’t a clue in midfield and as for attack well there isn’t one !! If this is #Dongball then I’d rather have not thanks, we pass it about the back 4 for a bit and then hoof if from Harlee

@Swaino: Well. That wasn’t great. In fact it was pretty awful. But, there are always those games that you just have to admit that you’re second best. Hey ho, on to Tuesday.

@Carlbcfccb13: Absolute woeful performance. Formation is wrong balance of side is wrong .new players look very average . Defensively shambolic and toothless in final 3rd. This isn’t going to end well

@T1987Adam: Second best all over the pitch today, You have them games in football! Still a commanding organising centre half & striker short! If Gary Hooper is free, fit and still has the fire in his belly sign him! We can’t run with two strikers until Jan and there’s no other options

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What the manager said

“Obviously we’re not happy,” Clotet said. “We came here with a view of being more competitive and trying to get something. We’ve had a really good start in the league and we were aware that Forest were in need of the points.
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“We were facing a physical side with a lot of intensity but I think we started the game OK, we built into it and created problems for them. But those two goals, with a very short time between each other, meant Forest were able to defend the goal and close the spaces. It was very tough for us to go forward.

“In the second half we tried, and played a lot of football, but it was difficult because they had a lot of numbers. That’s not making excuses, it’s just highlighting the difficulties that we’re having and the mistakes that we’re making.”

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The player’s reaction

“I don’t really know what to say,” said defender Marc Roberts. “It’s a rubbish result either way you look at it and we’ve not been good enough.

“We’ve just had a word in there. Even the games that we’ve done well in, we’ve still gone in there and said stuff. Nothing is going to be perfect, you’ll always need to work on things – today obviously more so than the other two.
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(Image: EMPICS Sport)

“But even after the other two games we’ve said what we’ve had to say.

“That is a strength of ours. It’s important to say what needs to be said and everyone takes it in there. Everyone knows what’s going on and what we need to work on going forward.

“We’ve been a little bit soft in areas and that’s not us as a team, as a club, and it’s not what the fans want to see,” Roberts added. “Regardless if we play nice football or not, we’ve got to be a bit more steely and I don’t think we were today. That’s let us down but we’re only three games in and overall we’ve had a solid start.

“Hopefully we can build on the football we’ve been playing but keep the identity of what we’ve built over the last 18 months.”